Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will be Honored in Washington, D.C. Ceremony and Receive $10,000 award

Five Museums and Five Libraries Receive Nation's Highest Honor forExtraordinary Community Service

Five museums and five libraries have been selected for the 2007 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation's highest honor for the extraordinary public service provided by these institutions, announced Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.

In keeping with the 2007 name change to the National Medal for Museum and Library Service (previously known as the National Award), recipient institutions will be awarded a newly-minted medal in recognition of their extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions. Each organization will also be honored in a special ceremony in Washington, D.C., and receive a $10,000 award.

The winners of the 2007 National Medal for Museum and Library Serviceare:

"The Institute of Museum and Library Services is awarding the National Medal to these 10 museums and libraries because they provide ground-breaking programs that respond to community challenges, serve as models for the nation's museums and libraries, and most of all make a difference in people's lives. I applaud their good work and encourage others to follow their example," Radice said.

As the primary source of federal funding for museums and libraries, the Institute has a unique vantage point of the vital role these institutions play in American society. The National Medal for Museum and Library Service was created to underscore that role. The winners are as diverse as the nation's cultural landscape: small and large, urban and rural. They have one thing in common: they have developed innovativeways to serve their communities.